This invention generally relates to a restraint device. Various implementations of the invention are envisioned, including its use as a lumbopelvic restraint device during exercise to relieve pain and/or restore range of motion in lower back, pelvis, and leg pain suffers or in healthy persons who wish to restore or increase their range of motion. It may also be used to treat pain and/or restore or increase range of motion in the neck, shoulders, upper back, middle back and other body parts.
In the human anatomy, the lower spine, known as the lumbar spine, is joined to the pelvic bone at a joint known as the sacro-iliac joint. The sacro-iliac joint is a relatively stiff or rigid joint. The upper leg bone, known as the femur, is joined to the pelvic bone at the hip joint by means of hip ligaments. Only a limited degree of movement of the lumbar spine relative to the pelvis is possible at the sacro-iliac joint, due to the relatively stiff or rigid nature of this joint. Thus, in general, upon movement of the lumbar spine in any direction, at least some of this movement is translated into a movement of the pelvis at the hip joint. This is because the hip joint is relatively free-moving in comparison to the stiff sacro-iliac joint. Upon movement of the leg, at least some of the hip ligaments start to wind up. When these hip ligaments are fully wound up, further movement of the leg is translated into a movement of the pelvis.
A major and longstanding health problem that spans the world is acute or chronic back pain. A countless number of people suffer from pain in the lumbopelvic region including their lower back and hip. The causes of back pain are too numerous to enumerate, but include injuries, bad posture, accidents, genetic defects, disease, and aging. For some, the pain arises only during exercise. As a result, many eliminate beneficial exercises from their routines. For others, hip and/or lower back pain is always present. Exercise may be a desirable or a necessary treatment for the pain for many of these people. But again, the very exercises needed to alleviate the pain are difficult to perform due to the increased pain during exercise. These people often become stuck in a depressing cycle of increasing pain as the exercises and treatments needed to alleviate pain are too painful to perform, with the lack of proper exercise resulting in weakening of the muscles and increased pain and/or discomfort. The amount of money and effort spent on trying to cure back problems and/or alleviate the pain and/or discomfort is staggering. Modern medical attempts to address these issues, including drugs, surgery, traction, manual mobilization and exercise, are costly and have met with little success. There is no doubt there is a longstanding need for a safe, reliable and cost effective way to solve the problems associated with lumbopelvic back pain and disorders. Also, there is no doubt that the numerous attempts by others to meet this need and solve these problems have largely been failures.
Pelvis restraint devices have been proposed for various uses, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,216 to Hilyard et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,186 to McIntyre et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,249 to Marras et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,086 to McCormick et al. Among other deficiencies, none of the proposed devices suggests an apparatus capable of positioning the pelvis with six degrees of freedom in any of a number of three-dimensional positions to find a substantially pain-free position in which the pelvis may be subsequently restrained by the apparatus, and from which exercises can be performed in a substantially pain-free manner. In brief, they do not disclose a mechanical device capable of eliminating pain, exercising in a pain-free position, and directing movements to the affected joint or region of the body. In addition, these and similar devices may suffer from one or more additional drawbacks. First, the number of exercises available to the user is limited. Second, some of the devices are not user-friendly. Third, some of the devices are unable to conform to a user""s build and preferences. Fourth, the devices do not do a sufficient job of preventing pain in the user.
The invention meets the needs described above for a vast number of suitable back, pelvis, and/or leg pain suffers, and avoids the problems and disadvantages of the prior art, by provision of a mechanical device that allows a user, with or without the help of a physician, clinician, physical therapist or other healthcare professional, to position and stabilize his/her body in a substantially or completely pain-free position. The stabilized position of the body is then restrained so as to maintain its position, and exercises of other body parts relative to the restrained region may be performed substantially or completely pain-free. In particular, exercises may now be directed to the specific area of the body region that has been causing pain. In some suitable users, these and other similar exercises have produced remarkable and immediate results in terms of elimination or reduction of pain and restoration or increased range of motion.
The principles of invention may be implemented in a number of ways.
In one example, a support body and a restraining device restrain a body portion. The restraining device may include two straps spaced apart, each of which may be coupled to both sides of the support body. The straps restrain a portion of a user""s bodyxe2x80x94most commonly the pelvisxe2x80x94against the support body. Each strap has buckles that allow the straps to be opened and closed. Each strap is also adjustable in a number of ways. The straps adjust to the user""s build, in part, by moving up and down with respect to the user""s height and/or to the required level of restraint. Accordingly, each strap also may include two leverage points for adjusting the tension in the strap. Ratchets can be used to provide the leverage pointsxe2x80x94in this example, at each side of the person. After buckling the straps and placing them over the pelvis region, each ratchet may be tightened and loosened in order to position and restrain the pelvis in a comfortable position whereby any pain that otherwise would have existed is lessened or eliminated. This is accomplished in part because the ratchets adjust the tension of the straps along either side of the user, causing a slight rotation and repositioning of the pelvis. Adjustment of the height of the ratchets and tension in the straps in combination enables a three-dimensional repositioning of the pelvic or other body area until the pain is reduced. Once a comfortable, preferable pain-free position is reached, all of the ratchets may be tightened evenly to maintain the comfortable position.
The user then may perform any number of exercises or movements (stretching and twisting exercises, weight lifting, etc.). Because the pelvis is restrained, exercising directs the movements to one or more joints. For example, during back exercises, movement about the hip joint is inhibited. Most of the exercising movement of the user""s lumbar back region is translated into a pivoting of the spine itself, and about the pelvis at the sacro-iliac joint. This would not normally be the case. If the pelvis was not restrained, some of the movement of the lumbar spine region would be translated into a movement of the pelvis at the hip joint. This is because the hip joint is relatively free-moving in comparison to the relatively stiff sacro-iliac joint. These and similar exercises are a useful therapy for those with back or other physical problems, and may even be used for those without back problems, for example, to increase range of motion.
Other features may be implemented to improve the benefits of the device. One or more additional straps connected to the support body may be placed around another part of the user""s body to improve the exercise routines. For instance a strap could be placed around the user""s chest, leg, or arm. The strap may include a resilient portion so that when, for example, the strap is around the user""s chest, the user can move his or her chest in many different directions. However, the resilient portion provides resistance to the movements. This strap may be designed to be easily releasable from the userxe2x80x94no matter the user""s position on the support body. Other accessories may also be provided. For example, a footstool for elevating the user""s leg and a pivotable leg support for twisting the user""s leg could be utilized. A chair could also be provided to allow the user to sit while exercising.
Additional and alternative features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description, drawings, and claims, including methods of using the invention to treat pain in injured persons or increase range of motion in healthy persons. Although numerous implementations and examples of the invention are set forth in the patentxe2x80x94including in this xe2x80x9cSummary of Inventionxe2x80x9d sectionxe2x80x94the examples and implementations are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.